Leaking pop tops on 2023 California Oceans

[dspuk]

Just seen a picture on another post. Obviously the problem is that horizontal seam. What is it doing there? Funnily enough it traps water which eventually trickles through. The old ones don’t have that seem!

With 65 pages and (to date) three threads, (one archived due to lunatics) on this, it’s worth a sit down read with a cup of tea.

All your questions have been posed and answered several dozen times.

Book it in during Jan for the version that is, its seems, the final warranty fix.

 

[Rodz1300]

I picked mine up on the 28th, build date first week of December, it has the 04s bellows. left it up in the rain all day yesterday and no issues so far.
There does seem to be a recognition of the issue, dealer asked if i had heard about the bellows leaking when i picked it up, i said yes. He went to great lengths to say it is a waranty point and if it does leak, i should take some pictures and take it to my local VW Commerical Centre and request a warranty fix. He also said if it does leak and i get any push back to call him and he will sort it out with the local VW. Must say i was very pleased to hear the change of direction from VW

 

[Barry Chuckle]

I picked mine up on the 28th, build date first week of December, it has the 04s bellows. left it up in the rain all day yesterday and no issues so far.
There does seem to be a recognition of the issue, dealer asked if i had heard about the bellows leaking when i picked it up, i said yes. He went to great lengths to say it is a waranty point and if it does leak, i should take some pictures and take it to my local VW Commerical Centre and request a warranty fix. He also said if it does leak and i get any push back to call him and he will sort it out with the local VW. Must say i was very pleased to hear the change of direction from VW

I too got that same script, but I did have to mention the issue to the dealer. I picked mine up in Nov, perhaps I'm over cynical, but I felt the reason they were going to town on the warranty issue was to discourage me from rejecting the car within 30 days. Glad to say that mine hasn't leaked (yet) so I've not any issues either.
Hopefully you'll really enjoy your New Cali and there is an abundance of rain presently to keep testing those bellows!!!!

 

[stationmaster]

I too got that same script, but I did have to mention the issue to the dealer. I picked mine up in Nov, perhaps I'm over cynical, but I felt the reason they were going to town on the warranty issue was to discourage me from rejecting the car within 30 days. Glad to say that mine hasn't leaked (yet) so I've not any issues either.
Hopefully you'll really enjoy your New Cali and there is an abundance of rain presently to keep testing those bellows!!!!

I guess it is not ideal for a dealer to have vehicles rejected, so encouraging a purchaser to see this issue as a warranty matter is understandable?
It is encouraging that a few of these recently delivered vans are not leaking - fingers crossed, things will improve for everyone now

 

[stationmaster]

I picked mine up on the 28th, build date first week of December, it has the 04s bellows. left it up in the rain all day yesterday and no issues so far.
There does seem to be a recognition of the issue, dealer asked if i had heard about the bellows leaking when i picked it up, i said yes. He went to great lengths to say it is a waranty point and if it does leak, i should take some pictures and take it to my local VW Commerical Centre and request a warranty fix. He also said if it does leak and i get any push back to call him and he will sort it out with the local VW. Must say i was very pleased to hear the change of direction from VW

Depends upon the severity of the leak/weather conditions? May i ask which dealership supplied your van?

 

[Rodz1300]

Depends upon the severity of the leak/weather conditions? May i ask which dealership supplied your van?

Supplied by EV Crawley. Just reporting no leaks so far rather than a definitive doesn't leak. That said, it was pretty windy and rainy in Wales yesterday so still hoping for the best with the latest bellows.

 

[stationmaster]

Supplied by EV Crawley. Just reporting no leaks so far rather than a definitive doesn't leak. That said, it was pretty windy and rainy in Wales yesterday so still hoping for the best with the latest bellows.

Thanks. From what i have heard, VW van dealerships are a mixed bag, with some taking a long and customer focused position in relation to this and similar issues...some the opposite. Just as you might expect i guess.
For sure a rejection is on occasion the right way to go, whilst doing everything to take the dealership with you of course.
Looks like there is a good chance your van is sound, and i hope this will prove the case with all recent orders

 

[1954BD]

Picked mine up last week and it has a 03S label and has an "A" sticker not had chance to test mine yet

picked mine up on the 18th of dec doin a water test on it next week will let you know the findings

 

[Ilikesleeping]

Mine is hopefully being built next week for collection towards the end of Feb. If this issue has finally been fixed , I would love to hear about the positives of this new bellow version. Are there any? Better heat and sound insulation etc?

 

[stationmaster]

Picked mine up last week and it has a 03S label and has an "A" sticker not had chance to test mine yet

Worrying that it did not have the 04S bellows...or is the A sticker thought to be OK as well?

 

[stationmaster]

picked mine up on the 18th of dec doin a water test on it next week will let you know the findings

I think many will be interested in the results...Is an "A"sticker as good as an 04S number?
Keep us all posted please.

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

I think many will be interested in the results...Is an "A"sticker as good as an 04S number?
Keep us all posted please.

It's all about the date, not the code.... Look back a page or two and you will see the manufacture date after which all is the v latest

 

[stationmaster]

It's all about the date, not the code.... Look back a page or two and you will see the manufacture date after which all is the v latest

Thanks.
With regards to factory ordered new vans, is it certain that ALL bellows after a certain date are good? 03S, 03S with a A sticker, and 04S?
I understood some 03S with an A sticker had been found to leak.
Perhaps i am the only one confused by this matter?

 

[CaliforniaCylus]

Thanks.
With regards to factory ordered new vans, is it certain that ALL bellows after a certain date are good? 03S, 03S with a A sticker, and 04S?
I understood some 03S with an A sticker had been found to leak.
Perhaps i am the only one confused by this matter?

I think it is a bit confusing.

The message I have is that if your bellows manufacture date is after the magic date, then categorically they incorporate all of the various modifications, regardless of version number.

Anything else (at least closeish to that date) has the potential to have all fixes and be watertight. It may not have all the latest fixes and again, may or may not be watertight

What is the date on yours?

 

[RockinNRollin]

The whole saga is confusing. Fairly sure there’s at least one example of an 03S being apparently waterproof and probably others too that we just don’t hear about (as if it’s working as intended, why would you say anything?) but this could all just be lucky with the weather conditions. You’ve got what you’ve got; if it leaks, warranty claim, otherwise happy days.

 

[Corradobrit]

The whole saga is confusing. Fairly sure there’s at least one example of an 03S being apparently waterproof and probably others too that we just don’t hear about (as if it’s working as intended, why would you say anything?) but this could all just be lucky with the weather conditions. You’ve got what you’ve got; if it leaks, warranty claim, otherwise happy days.

Third time was a charm for me to get leakage. To be honest if I wasn't testing the bellows properly I might have kept the roof down given the amount of rainfall expected. So I would have been none the wiser.

 

[stationmaster]

Third time was a charm for me to get leakage. To be honest if I wasn't testing the bellows properly I might have kept the roof down given the amount of rainfall expected. So I would have been none the wiser.

Can you remind me what month/year your van is?

 

[stationmaster]

I think it is a bit confusing.

The message I have is that if your bellows manufacture date is after the magic date, then categorically they incorporate all of the various modifications, regardless of version number.

Anything else (at least closeish to that date) has the potential to have all fixes and be watertight. It may not have all the latest fixes and again, may or may not be watertight

What is the date on yours?

Thanks.

My (new) van is yet to be delivered. March/April delivery is my guess.
I was just beginning to feel that i had escaped the storm...

Irony is that i had wanted a late 6.1 as i thought there was a good chance most of the early model gremlins would be sorted

 

[Corradobrit]

Can you remind me what month/year your van is?

11/22

 

[ParachuteMan]

The whole saga is confusing. Fairly sure there’s at least one example of an 03S being apparently waterproof and probably others too that we just don’t hear about (as if it’s working as intended, why would you say anything?) but this could all just be lucky with the weather conditions. You’ve got what you’ve got; if it leaks, warranty claim, otherwise happy days.

I have DVLA California new registration data 1 Mar - 1 Nov 24, all MYE 23 and across Spring-Autum usage in all weathers. I have gone through this thread and other associated threads post by post to calculate leakers. (I have doubled that number to allow for non-members and non-reporters) . I have had off the record discussions with a couple of VWCV dealers to compare numbers. All extremely interesting

 

[Corradobrit]

I have DVLA California new registration data 1 Mar - 1 Nov 24, all MYE 23 and across Spring-Autum usage in all weathers. I have gone through this thread and other associated threads post by post to calculate leakers. (I have doubled that number to allow for non-members and non-reporters) . I have had off the record discussions with a couple of VWCV dealers to compare numbers. All extremely interesting

Tease

 

[Hawthorn37]

Seems to me that VW should just bite the bullet and recall the v3 bellows and refit v4, rather than wait the inevitable complain once the customer experiences water ingress and all the stress that comes with it.

 

[andyinluton]

I have DVLA California new registration data 1 Mar - 1 Nov 24, all MYE 23 and across Spring-Autum usage in all weathers.

Thats amazing that you've managed to include the next 11 months of registrations!
Not all vans reported on the forum are Uk registered.
Not all MY23 vans had the double skinned bellows, the MY started in August & some vans as late as October 22 had the single skin version.
Take the above into account add the arbitrary adjustment of doubling it & the top secret number that you have chosen not to tell us is probably as accurate as me chucking a few arrows blindfold into a dartboard.

Unless of course the answer is 42

 

[ParachuteMan]

Typo - 1 Mar - 1 Nov 23. As its UK DVLA registrations, I excluded non Uk leakers.

 

[myvanrodney]

Seems to me that VW should just bite the bullet and recall the v3 bellows and refit v4, rather than wait the inevitable complain once the customer experiences water ingress and all the stress that comes with it.

I would agree, but surely they are not ALL affected If they were, knowledge would be very widespread - many more users on here, other forums and mildly honest dealers would all know it? This thread is in my opinion based on hearsay and theory (other than the unverified VW communication) about where the fault lies, what the genuine solution is, or even how to identify vans that are affected. This is quite expected, as we don't have all the facts and data.

Just playing devils advocate - the fault could be a subset of all v3/4 bellows fitted due to a fault that occurred in extraordinary circumstances. In this case, I would NOT expect VW to pay for a blanket replacement, when a large proportion of them are NOT faulty - at the very least, what an unnecessary creation of waste?